Kiyohime: The Vengeful Serpent Woman of Japanese Folklore

The tragic Japanese folktale of Kiyohime — the Serpent Woman of Dojoji — is one of Japan’s most haunting stories of obsessive love, betrayal, transformation, and Buddhist salvation. In this full English retelling and translation, we follow two monks on a pilgrimage to Kumano. Along the way, a young widow becomes deeply attached to the beautiful young monk. When he breaks his promise and flees, her grief and rage transform her into a great serpent. She chases him to Dojoji Temple, where the story reaches its terrifying climax beneath the temple bell. But this version does not end only with horror. Unlike many later retellings of the Anchin and Kiyohime legend, this older Buddhist tale continues into a story of suffering, ritual, and salvation through the power of the Lotus Sutra. The monk and the woman, both reborn in serpent bodies, seek release from their torment — and an old monk of Dojoji performs a sacred service for them. This tale is connected with the famous Dojoji legend, the later Anchin and Kiyohime tradition, and older medieval Buddhist miracle tales such as those found in the Dainihonkoku Hokke Genki and the Konjaku Monogatari. The visual reference for Kiyohime also draws on the ukiyo-e tradition, including “Wakan Hyaku Monogatari: Kiyohime.” This video is part of Japan Lore Archive, a project introducing Japanese classical tales, folklore, Buddhist stories, yokai legends, and old literary traditions in English. Chapters: 0:00 Long ago, two monks traveled to Kumano 0:33 That night at the widow’s house 2:18 The broken promise 3:25 The serpent appears 4:16 The monks flee to Dojoji Temple 5:35 The burning bell 6:04 The old monk’s dream 7:14 Copying the Lotus Sutra 7:38 The second dream and salvation 8:22 The power of the Lotus Sutra 8:55 The final lesson 9:24 Thank you for watching Japanese names and terms: Kiyohime / 清姫 Dojoji / 道成寺 Kumano / 熊野 Muro / 牟婁 Lotus Sutra / 法華経 Tōriten / 忉利天 Tosotsuten / 兜率天 Wakan Hyaku Monogatari Kiyohime / 和漢百物語 清姫 Dainihonkoku Hokke Genki / 大日本国法華験記 Konjaku Monogatari / 今昔物語集 What did you think of this tale? Leave your thoughts in the comments. #JapaneseFolklore #Kiyohime #SerpentWoman #Dojoji #JapaneseLegend #Yokai #BuddhistTales #LotusSutra #JapaneseHorror #JapaneseMythology